Simple Truths: Messages for a Better Life

One example: A boy with Down syndrome has inspired thousands to be better people by resolving to give to others

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on August 02 2007

One afternoon, Johnny, a 19-year-old with Down syndrome, attended a speech about making a difference through quality service. Johnny was moved by the lecturer’s words. He wanted to be a model employee, but he was only a grocery bagger. Most days, he never even got to speak to the customers that passed through the store. How, he wondered, could he touch their lives through his work?

Then Johnny came up with an idea: Each day, he would find an inspirational quote. If he couldn’t find anything he liked, he would write his own. He printed hundreds of copies of his “Thought of the Day,” and began dropping them into grocery bags for each customer he served.

It wasn’t long before customers took notice. Within days, Johnny’s checkout lines were three times longer than anyone else’s. Many infrequent customers began stopping in daily, just so that they never had to miss a quote.

His sense of goodwill quickly spread through the rest of the shop: Instead of throwing away broken flowers, the floral department staff began to give the flowers to young girls and elderly shoppers. Soon, everyone was talking about how Johnny had transformed the grocery store from a typical business into a place that genuinely cared about its customers.

Johnny has since inspired more acts of selfless service than he could ever know — after employees at a baseball park heard his tale and were urged to “be like Johnny,” the park received 7,500 letters praising the staff’s exceptional hospitality.

Johnny’s true story, “The Simple Truths of Service,” is one of the many inspiring tales available from the Web site Simpletruths.com. The online shop carries a wide range of unique motivational books for individuals in all walks of life. Whether you’d like to help an elderly relative find hope, provide guidance to a recent graduate, or rev up your company’s sales staff, Simpletruths.com can help anyone live up to Johnny’s shining example.

Watch a video about Johnny’s amazing story.

Order a schadenfreude movie on DVD now!

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

How to Catch a Con Artist and Other Fascinating Facts About Human Behavior

In Dr. Richard Wiseman's new book "Quirkology," he explains dozens of bizarre psychological studies, covering everything from preschool-age financial investors to how to detect a liar. Here are a few of our favorites. Read More
The Best Kindle Tools, Accessories, and Resources

Our round-up of the best e-book and Kindle products and accessories. Read More
Guy Kawasaki’s Enchantment: Winning People Over the Ethical Way

Guy Kawasaki's new book, Enchantment, is a manual for winning people over the right way. Read More
6 Children’s Books to Help You Raise a Generous Child

These six books for kids can help parents teach their children about kindness. Read More
Around the Web: Simple Steps to Happiness

There are plenty of spots around the web to turn to if you need a mood boost. Here are a few of our favorite websites that deal with happiness and how to find it. Read More